California Fire Perimeter Procedures for 2008
October 3, 2007
In Reply Refer To:
9210 (CA-943) P
EMS TRANSMISSION: 10/3/07
Information Bulletin No. CA-2008-002
To: California Desert District Manager and All Field Managers
Attn: District, Regional and Field Office Fire Management Officers
From: Deputy State Director, Support Services
Subject: California Fire Perimeter Procedures for 2008
Purpose: This Information Bulletin (IB) transmits the procedures for submitting fire perimeters
within California effective March 26, 2008.
Background: In 1998, the BLM initiated a Bureau-wide Geographic Information System (GIS)
polygon theme for all wildland fires in an effort to aid management activities and mechanical hazard reduction treatments. Beginning with the FY2001 fire season, following national direction, California has included all incidents that are charged to sub activity codes 2821, 2823 or 2824 and are ten acres in size or greater. For incidents less than 10 acres in size, the point of origin is captured in the Bureau's fire occurrence database on the Shared Applications Computer System (SACS). To further guide this effort a data steward, James Newman, has been designated as the contact for California’s fire polygon database.
The Fire Polygon Database is of benefit to all of the Bureau's natural resource programs. This data is also used by cooperating agencies in managing wildland fires. Timely access to fire perimeters is essential for prioritizing resources.
Policy/Action: This IB sets forth policy and direction that fires which have burned ten or more acres of BLM land will have perimeters submitted to the Fire Alliance’s California Fire Planning and Mapping Tools database for California.
If any office does not have GIS capabilities the fire perimeter should be drawn on USGS 7.5 minute series topographic maps and sent, at the time the fire report is submitted, to CA-943, Attn: Fire Perimeters. Also submit the attached Perimeter Upload Submission Form.
For initial attack fires a projected shapefile will be posted to the California Fire Planning and Mapping website when the fire report is submitted.
For extended attack fires a projected shapefile will be posted to the California Fire Planning and Mapping website when the ICS-209 is updated.
If the BLM has delegated the suppression protection on BLM land to another agency this new requirement should be shared with the other agency at the annual operating plan meetings. Cooperating agencies have different acreage requirements for gathering their fire perimeters and clear communication will ensure that all fires that have burned ten acres or greater of BLM land are submitted to this interagency website.
If there are questions, then please have your Fire Management Officers or GIS Coordinators contact James Newman, CASO, Branch of Fire and Aviation Office, 916-978-4635.
Signed by:
Karen Barnette
DSD, Support Services
Authenticated by:
Richard A. Erickson
Records Management
Attachment:
Perimeter Upload Process and Submission Form (2 pp)
Perimeter Upload Process_________
The process for posting the projected shapefile is as follows:
1. Access the California Fire Planning and Mapping website at:
http://wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/fireplanning/
2. Click on the Upload link. This will bring you to a password form. The password is
ca_per1m. Hit Login to bring up the perimeter form.
3. Fill out and submit the form. Browse to the shapefile and submit all associated files (.shp,
.shx, .dbf, .prj, .sbn, and .sbx files). When the “Upload File” button is pushed the form is
submitted and the perimeter is loaded. This may take a few seconds. After the perimeter
is uploaded, you will receive a verification message.
4. The perimeter will be uploaded to the Fire Planning and Mapping Tools Viewer within
approximately five minutes. At that time the perimeter is accessible by the public.
Attachment 1 - 1
Perimeter Upload Submission Form
Fire Name: (e.g. Hi Meadows): ______________________________________________________________
Incident Number: (e.g. CA-NOD-052666): ____________________________________________________
Fire Code/Number: _________________________________________________________________________
Event: ______________________________________________________________________________________
(e.g.Wildland Fire, Fire Use, Prescribed Fire)
Agency: BLM|
Unit-ID: _____________________________________________________________________________________
(e.g. BBD, NOD, CDD)
Cause: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Perimeter Type: ____________________________________________________________________________
(e.g. Initial, Updated, Final)
If perimeter is Final:
Contained Date: _________________________________________________________________________
Reported Acres: _________________________________________________________________________
Start Date: ______________________________________________________________________________
Collection Date: ___________________________________________________________________________
Collection Time: ___________________________________________________________________________
Collection Method: ________________________________________________________________________
Projection: ________________________________________________________________________________
Projection Units: __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Name: ____________________________________________________________________________
Contact Email: ____________________________________________________________________________
Contact Office Phone: ____________________________________________________________________
Additional Comments: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________{______________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment 1 - 2